MODULE 5: Moral Decision Making

Question 1

The human person has an innate capacity to know what is

Answer 1

Good and Bad

Question 2

The process of evaluating and choosing from alternatives in a manner consistent to ethical principles

Answer 2

Moral-decision making

Question 3

The process of making decisions requires not a mere reading of the Sacred Scripture but also:

Answer 3

Commitment
Consciousness
Competency

Question 4

These constitute a good moral decision.

Answer 4

Ethical decisions and effective decisions

Question 5

Methods for Moral Decision Making

Answer 5

The Deontological Method
Teleological Method
Relational-Responsibility Method

Question 6

In this method, law, duty and obligation are the points of reference in deciding what to do.

It holds that certain actions are intrinsically moral evil in themselves and can never be justified.

This method holds too that we make decisions by determining what duty or positive law applies to the situation or by referring to whatever the authority (secular, ecclesial, divine) demands of the person.

Answer 6

The Deontological Method

Question 7

What questions are answered by the Deontological Method?

Answer 7

1. What is my duty?
2. What ought I to do?

Question 8

Why is The Deontological Method not flexible in dealing with conflict moral situations?

Answer 8

Because this method does not adequately account for the temporality and contextuality of moral living

Question 9

This method’s point of reference in making moral decision are the consequences.

In making moral decisions, this method first determines the possible alternatives for action and the consequences which each produces.

Then, the alternatives are weighed against each other to determine which produces the greatest possible value in its consequences.

It takes seriously the future implications of an action and regards them as part of the action’s moral meaning

This method substitutes a part of morality (consequences) for the whole

Answer 9

Teleological Method

Question 10

This question is answered by the Teleological Method?

Answer 10

What is my goal?

Question 11

This method decides what to do by determining what action is most harmonious to the meaning of the whole relational context.

It sees moral life as primarily comprised of relationships held together by on-going interaction with God, neighbor, world and self

This method tries to include all the factors in the relevant situation within a proper relationship.

Relies more on a refined moral sensitivity more than the other methods do because its lines of moral analysis are not always that clear.

Answer 11

Relational-Responsibility Method

Question 12

What question is answered by the Relational-Responsibility Method?

Answer 12

What is happening

Question 13

Gustafson (1971) shows that an adequate method of helping us love well and do what one ought to do should take into consideration:

Answer 13

The agent
The beliefs
The situation
The appropriate norms

Question 14

Where the practical moral question begins and ends: “I of the what ought I to do?”

Not everything we want and we can we must do. We need to consider and observe the spirit of the faith we professed.

Answer 14

The Agent

Question 15

Shape the agent’s self-understanding and the ability to consider what is possible to do.

This suggests proper education of conscience. We are responsible to form and educate a moral conscience. We need to grow mature in our faith for it is not enough to be baptized in a certain Christian religious denomination.

Answer 15

Beliefs or stable convictions

Question 16

Analyzing _________ by exploring as thoroughly as possible the reality revealing questions, like the ones we asked in forming conscience for decision making.

Calls for a continuous examination of one’s conscience vis a vis a specific case at stake brought about by the changing time. The spirit of the moral norm should be maintained while using possible varied humane strategies.

Answer 16

The situation

Question 17

Should be consulted as criteria of judgment.

For example, before the pandemic visiting the elderly particularly the sick relative is a moral act since it fosters love and solidarity (damayan). However, during the pandemic staying at home and not visiting the elderly has become the new form of love and solidarity (damayan).

Answer 17

Appropriate norms/Various sources of moral wisdom

Question 18

The quality of perception and the capacity to discriminate degrees of importance among various features before making a judgment.

A matter of the heart

It helps us see things in their relation to God and to integrate all things into our love of God.

Answer 18

Discernment

Question 19

Discernment is possible if we:

Answer 19

Take into consideration:
Faith
The Will of God
Jesus
The human person

Question 20

The process of discernment includes:

Answer 20

Prayer, gathering of information, and seeking confirmation

Question 21

The S.T.O.P Sign Method for Making Moral Decisions

Answer 21

SEARCH
THINK
OTHERS
PRAY

Question 22

Part of the STOP Sign Method that involves making informed decisions. Involves the 5 W questions (What? Why? Who? When? Where?)

Answer 22

SEARCH out the facts

Question 23

When Searching out the facts, it is important to remember these principles:

Answer 23

1. A good intention does not justify evil means to attain it.
2. If any part of the act is wrong (action, motive, circumstances), DONT DO IT!

Question 24

Part of the STOP Sign Method that involves the alternatives and the consequences

Answer 24

Think

Question 25

Part of the STOP Sign Method that involve consulting and Considering others

Answer 25

Others

Question 26

Others: Consult and Consider others by:

Answer 26

a. Talking to them about your dilemma;
b. How your actions will affect them

Question 27

Part of the STOP Sign Method that involves talking by letting God know what’s in your mind and listening - paying attention and God will answer in some way, and being ready.

Answer 27

Pray

Question 28

The quote “The human race is involved in a new stage of history. Profound and rapid changes are spreading by degrees around the whole world. Triggered by the intelligence and creative energies of man, these changes recoil upon him, upon his decisions and desires, both individual and collective, and upon his manner of thinking and acting with respect to things and to people” (no. 4). was said by:

Answer 28

Paul VI